Potential Tulane Baseball Coaching Candidates - The Search

[tpstulane]

Give us your's...
Here's a guy I would strongly consider... Vandy's assistant coach Travis Jewett
http://www.vucommodores.com/sports/m-ba ... 11327.html

Travis Jewett begins his second season as the Commodores hitting coach and recruiting coordinator after a very successful first season on West End in 2013.

The Commodores' offense clicked under Jewett's guidance in 2013 with the Dores improving in virtually every offensive category hitting .313 as a team - 45 points higher than 2012 - to lead all Southeastern Conference teams. Vanderbilt also led the SEC in slugging percentage (.439), on-base percentage (.407), runs scored (459), RBI (418), triples (17), walks (295) and stolen bases (139). Along with the team successes, multiple individuals produced career years under Jewett for the first time. Tony Kemp was named SEC Player of the Year after hitting a career-best .391 and posting an on-base percentage of .471 in his final year in Black & Gold. Connor Harrell bounced back from a tough junior season to be the Commodores' main source of power with a team-high 12 home runs. Harrell hit a career-best .312 while driving in 67 runs, sixth-most in school history.

Jewett's leadership with the team's outfielders molded the Commodores' outfield into one of the best in the nation in 2013 with seniors Jack Lupo, Connor Harrell and Mike Yastrzemski roaming the `green ocean' during the year. Harrell and Yastrzemski started all 66 games in center and right field, respectively.

Prior to Vanderbilt, Jewett spent the previous three years at Arizona State, where he oversaw the Sun Devils' hitters and recruiting while serving as Associate Head Coach.

Jewett coached in the Pac-12 for 11 seasons prior to his arrival on West End spending five years at Washington State and three seasons at Washington along with three at Arizona State. At WSU he helped lead the Cougars to a NCAA Tournament berth in 2009, their first since 1990. Prior to coaching at WSU, Jewett spent three years at Washington coaching infielders and third base. The Huskies made the NCAA Tournament in each of Jewett's three seasons (2002-04), reaching the Regional finals all three years.

Jewett served as an assistant coach at Gonzaga from 1999-2001, helping lead the Bulldogs to a West Coast Conference division title in 2001.

Jewett's three seasons at Arizona State saw the Sun Devils go 131-48 (.732), including a trip to the College World Series in 2010 that ended with a loss to eventual champion South Carolina. The Sun Devils offense produced under Jewett, hitting over .300 as a team during his tenure and averaging nearly seven runs per game winning the Pac-10 league title in 2010 and hosting NCAA Regionals in each of his first two years.

The 2012 season saw Arizona State finish with a 36-20 mark, including an 18-12 record in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils hit 42 home runs and scored 339 runs with a .443 slugging percentage. The team finished the season winning 12 of its final 16 games. Joey DeMichele's .336 average paced the team and Abe Ruiz led the way with 13 home runs. DeMichele and Deven Marrero were both selected as All-Pac-12 performers.

In 2011, the Sun Devils finished 43-18 with a 17-10 mark in Pac-10 play to finish second in the league. The squad hit .301 as a team led by Joey DeMichele's .368 average and nine home runs. Following the season five Sun Devils earned All-Pac 10 honors with Deven Marrero being named the Defensive Player of the Year and DeMichele earning All-American status. As a team the Sun Devils led the Pac-10 in home runs (37), slugging percentage (.444) and stolen bases (99). Arizona State hosted and swept through the NCAA Regional before falling at Texas in the Super Regional round in three games.

Arizona State was a powerhouse in 2010 winning the Pac-10 title with a 20-7 mark and earning the top national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team swept its way through Regionals and Super Regionals and into the school's 22nd College World Series. Offensively, Jewett's hitters posted a .337 team batting average while belting 68 home runs and scoring 520 runs. The club also swiped the third-most bases in school history with an amazing 136 steals.

His three-year stint at Arizona State saw 31 players drafted; including first round pick Deven Marrero in 2012. Of the 31 Sun Devils selected during Jewett's tenure 19 were position players.

During his time at Washington State he helped lead the Cougars from a 1-23 Pac-10 record in his first year to a 19-8 mark to finish second in the league in his final season in Pullman. The Cougars made their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in nearly 20 years in 2009, playing in the Norman, Okla. NCAA Regional. Jewett coached two Cougars to All-American honors and three earned All-Pac 10 recognition. One of those players to earn All-American and All-Pac 10 honors was Jay Miller, who broke the WSU school record for hits in a career with 307.

At Washington State, 15 Cougars were selected in the major league baseball draft during Jewett's five seasons.

While at Washington the Huskies went 114-65-2 in Jewett's three seasons. He instructed the infielders and coached third base for the Huskies while helping lead the hitters. Nine players earned All-Pac 10 honors, including Tim Lincecum, with four players earning Freshman All-American accolades (Aaron Hathaway, Kyle Larsen, Brent Lillibridge and Lincecum).

During his tenure with Washington 17 Huskies were drafted by major league baseball.

At Gonzaga, Jewett was in charge of the infield and coaching third base while assisting with the offense. Eight players were named First Team All-West Coast Conference during Jewett's time in Spokane with Barry Matthews earning All-American honors. Gonzaga won the WCC regular season title in Jewett's final season after finishing second the previous two seasons.

With the Zags, Jewett helped four players be drafted in his three seasons.

During his coaching career, Jewett has coached numerous major leaguers, including Jason Bay, Brent Lillibridge, Bo Hart, Sean White and 2008 and 2009 Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.

Jewett coached with Joe Ross at Washington and Mark Machtolf at Gonzaga, both Ross and Machtolf served on Tim Corbin's 2006 Team USA staff.

A native of Tacoma, Washington, Jewett began his collegiate coaching career at Tacoma Community College, first as an assistant in 1994 followed by two years as the head coach. He was the head coach at Edmonds (Wash.) Community College for two seasons, earning NWAACC Coach of the Year and National Junior College Coach of the Year honors in 1998.

Jewett is a 1993 graduate of Washington State. He played two seasons at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Wash. before finishing his degree at WSU, where he did not play baseball.

He and his wife, Tracy, live in Brentwood with their two sons, Tanner and Tommy.

[tpstulane]

Outside of members of the current coaching staff, who should be under consideration to lead Tulane's baseball program beginning in 2015? Here are 11 names to consider (listed alphabetically) and their credentials:

Rob Cooper, Penn State Head Coach
Cooper, a Tulane assistant in 1997 and 1998, just completed his first year with the Nittany Lions, where he led his team to an 18-32 record. He spent the previous nine seasons as head coach at Wright State, where he won 286 games and three conference tournament titles.

Casey Dunn, Samford Head Coach
Though just 37, the former Auburn catcher is in his 10th year as a head coach and earned his 300th career win earlier this month with an NCAA appearance in 2012. In January 2013, Dunn was ranked 2nd on Baseball America's list of top head coaches under 40. Samford is in the driver's seat in its half of the bracket in the Southern Conference tournament.

Cliff Godwin, Ole Miss Assistant Coach
In his third season with the Rebels, Godwin knows Louisiana from his days as an assistant at LSU when he was on Paul Mainieri's original staff. Godwin has also worked at both Vanderbilt and Notre Dame, giving him a background at schools with high academic standards. He ranked No. 2 on Baseball America's top assistant coaches list in January 2013.

Travis Jewett, Vanderbilt Assistant Coach
Jewett is in his second year with the ultra-successful Vandy program, but before that, he spent 11 years as an assistant in the Pac-12, including stints at Arizona State, Washington State (Rick Dickson's previous employer before Tulane) and Washington.

Mark Kingston, Illinois State Head Coach
The most likely candidate from the Rick Jones coaching tree, Kingston was an assistant at Tulane from 2002-08 under Jones and delivered a top-25 recruiting class in six of seven years. In his five years as head coach of the Redbirds, his teams have won 30 or more games every year. Illinois State will play for the Missouri Valley tournament title on Saturday; the Redbirds won the title in Kingston's first year as head coach.

Kevin McMullan, Virginia Associate Head Coach
Virginia has turned into one of the nation's best programs, and McMullan is a large reason why. A Baseball America poll in the fall of 2012 named McMullan the top assistant coach in college baseball. He has minor league managerial experience and was interim head coach at East Carolina in 2002, when he stepped in for the late Keith LeClair.

David Pierce, Sam Houston State Head Coach
Pierce, a former assistant at both Rice and Houston, has led Sam Houston to the Southland Conference regular-season title in each of his three seasons as coach. The Bearkats earned at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years and will likely get another berth on Monday.

Matt Riser, Southeastern Louisiana Head Coach
One of the youngest head coaches in the country, Riser is in his first year as the Lions' head coach after serving as the top assistant under now-Lions AD Jay Artigues, and his team will play for a conference title and automatic NCAA berth on Saturday. Riser played on Tulane's 2005 CWS team after playing for Artigues at Pearl River Community College.

Joe Scheuermann, Delgado CC Head Coach
Scheuermann, a 1984 graduate of Tulane and assistant for the Green Wave from 1985-90, has Delgado in the Junior College World Series and ranked No. 2 in the nation and has done it almost exclusively with players from the New Orleans area. Scheuermann interviewed for the job in 1993, just three years into his stint at Delgado.

Jim Schlossnagle, TCU Head Coach
A longshot, but still a phone call that Rick Dickson should make. Schlossnagle was a Tulane assistant in Jones' first eight seasons (1994-2001) and was the lead assistant for the first College World Series team. In 13 seasons as a head coach (two at UNLV, 11 at TCU), he has won more than 500 games and led the Horned Frogs to the 2010 College World Series.

Tom Walter, Wake Forest Head Coach
Walter knows New Orleans from his days as UNO's head coach and knows how to recruit to private schools from his current job and his previous experience at George Washington. Walter signed a contract extension after last season, which could present a challenge.

- See more at: http://sportsnola.com/sports/tulane/608 ... xa0Qs.dpuf

[Robert1969]

Dickson isn't getting anyone off that list who has a shot of reviving this program. Dickson is going to hire the worst possible candidate. The only hope is that he gets lucky and whoever is chosen wins despite Dickson. There is no way possible that Dickson will find a proven qualified winner.

[tpstulane]

Dickson isn't getting anyone off that list who has a shot of reviving this program. Dickson is going to hire the worst possible candidate. The only hope is that he gets lucky and whoever is chosen wins despite Dickson. There is no way possible that Dickson will find a proven qualified winner.

I believe the Tulane baseball job is still highly desired in spite of the recent downfall. Tulane has baseball facilities and salary rank in the top 15-20. The biggest hurdle the next coach will face is the cost of education at Tulane and only 11.7 scholarships to provide for. I could only imagine how easy the job would be if we had $25K tuition or 20 full scholarships for kids we wanted. Getting talent becomes more difficult the higher the cost of education as compared with others the provide for more assistance. If I'm going in for an interview that would be my first question to RD. And I would want Tulane's answer in writing and in a clause of my contract.

[Jonathan]

My favorite at this point is the Vandy assistant coach Travis Jewett. We need the Tulane administration to make a commitment to offer more scholarship money to incoming blue chip players as Vandy and Rice does.

[DrBox]

Dickson isn't getting anyone off that list who has a shot of reviving this program. Dickson is going to hire the worst possible candidate. The only hope is that he gets lucky and whoever is chosen wins despite Dickson. There is no way possible that Dickson will find a proven qualified winner.

I don't agree with this. Dickson's going to have a lot of help in this search and our big guns won't put up with his clown show. We just don't have those big guns as interested in basketball, and thus Conroy lives. (plus Conroy has, shall we say, ingratiated himself pretty solidly within the TU and uptown community).

[golfnut69]

My favorite at this point is the Vandy assistant coach Travis Jewett. We need the Tulane administration to make a commitment to offer more scholarship money to incoming blue chip players as Vandy and Rice does.

not sure if Tulane has the $$$$ to match Rice...hell it was not that long ago Rice was tuition free for Texas High School grads who could meet the admission requirements

[JerseyWave]

Having suffered through the Dickson horror show for over a decade, I can deduct that after calling it a "National Search", he will hire Gautreau saying that he was the best candidate all along.

[Jonathan]

Agree with you golf nut. It is all about the money and scholarships with the right new young coach whether our baseball program will survive on the Top 25 level as we expect NCAA tournaments every year.

[Fred Dowler]

Having suffered through the Dickson horror show for over a decade, I can deduct that after calling it a "National Search", he will hire Gautreau saying that he was the best candidate all along.

That would be par for the course.

[mbawavefan12]

David Pierce makes $110k at Sam Houston St. Two straight ncaa tourneys, probably won't get an at large this year.

He'a my guy, the Rice connection is key as he spent a decade there. He was a juco player himself so will prob push harder on that frint as well. Rice has had 20 straight 40 win seasons, amazing.

All the candidates mentioned blow away Jake's accomplishments/experience.

[tpstulane]

Recruiting Classes

Mark Kingston has been tireless on the recruiting trail, where he has helped the Green Wave sign excellent classes that have included Major League draft picks and prep All-Americans. Each of his recruiting classes have been ranked highly by national publications, including landing a combined eight of the nation's Top 100 prospects in 2003 and 2004. The 2005 rookies ranked fourth in the nation by Baseball America and No. 5 by Collegiate Baseball, the 2006 crop was ranked 13th by Collegiate Baseball and last year's freshman class ranked 23rd. In addition, the recruiting class signed in November has already been ranked 11th.
During his tenure with the Green Wave, Kingston has coached 17 Major League draft picks, including first-rounders - Aubrey and Brian Bogusevic - helped 12 players earn All-Conference USA honors - including both the C-USA Freshmen and Players of the Year in 2005 and 2006 - and Tulane has posted school Top 10 marks in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs, total bases, slugging percentage and stolen bases.

Kingston left after our last regional appearance (2008 season) and our recruiting has since suffered. We have not made regional since he left. IMO the talent level dropped off quite significantly once he left. He or the Vandy assistant would be my top choices.

[glennc]

The next coach is going to be Gautreaux because dickson is to lazy to conduct a national search and he is going to say we didn't want disrupt things.

[VanceWGreen]

I am confident that Mr Dickson will do a search appropriate for Tulane University. One candidate that I am shocked has not been mentioned is Fred Jordan. He comes from a school from which Tulane has successfully recruited a coach before, and he has taken his team to the NCAAs on numerous occasions: http://www.citadelsports.com/sports/bsb ... dan_fred00

[Show Me]

Waiting to hear this name from Fletcher Mackel
Roger Cador
http://www.gojagsports.com/ViewArticle. ... =205307201

[msdos]

lol, god damnit vance

[Fred Dowler]

Waiting to hear this name from Fletcher Mackel
Roger Cador
http://www.gojagsports.com/ViewArticle. ... =205307201

I've met Roger Cador and I have a lot of regard for Roger Cador.

[Profoundwizard]

100% no on Roger Cador.

[Fred Dowler]

100% no on Roger Cador.

How much would you be willing to bet on Rick Dickson hiring someone who's a better coach?

[Profoundwizard]

Better is subjective, but I'd bet a lot.

[Fred Dowler]

Better is subjective, but I'd bet a lot.

Why so down on Roger Cador? Just because it's Southern we're talking about?

[Profoundwizard]

He's old and hasn't put together a decent team in years. I think they were last in the SWAC this year. Nothing wrong with taking a coach from Southern, but I don't want him. He is on the downside of his career and frankly he was never good enough to coach at Tulane.

[tnelly15]

Cador? Are you kidding me? Southern is seriously one of the worst teams in the country, bottom 5 RPI. Vance was trolling with a suggestion of a Citadel coach and that'd be a better hire than Cador. Some of these suggestions are mind blowing.

[Fred Dowler]

He's old and hasn't put together a decent team in years. I think they were last in the SWAC this year. Nothing wrong with taking a coach from Southern, but I don't want him. He is on the downside of his career and frankly he was never good enough to coach at Tulane.

Fair enough but then again I don't get saying that someone who's managed to coach a team through more than 800 wins "was never good enough...." Still sounds like "well, he's been at Southern...." Not unlike "well, Joe Scheuermann's only been at Delgado...." Goodness, look at the backgrounds of some, if not most, of the greatest managers ever, e.g. Joe Torre or Sparky Anderson. TU would probably be well served by TU people climbing down off the high horse. TU's biggest problem is in how the "upper management" just seems to be too disconnected/insulated from the realities of things.

[tnelly15]

Fred, Cador coached arguably the worst team in college baseball this year, bottom 5 without a question.


And Jones had over 800 wins and you didn't think much of him, so...